New York|A Tranquil Swimming Hole Is Overwhelmed by Its Own Internet Fame

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A Tranquil Swimming Hole Is Overwhelmed by Its Own Internet Fame

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Swimmers at the Blue Hole in Sundown Wild Forest in Denning, N.Y., on Saturday. A state official said the freshwater pool recently began drawing up to 1,000 visitors a day.CreditCreditPiotr Redlinski for The New York Times

DENNING, N.Y. — For decades, hikers in the Catskills have gone swimming in a freshwater pool in Sundown Wild Forest, near the foot of Peekamoose Mountain. They called it the Blue Hole because of the crystalline quality of its water, and for many, a trip there was a cherished tradition.

Although it can be found on maps, most people learned about the pool through word of mouth. But that began to change several years ago as mentions surfaced on the internet.

Soon, the pool, in Ulster County, about 20 miles from Woodstock, was crowded with more visitors than ever. Many seemed unfamiliar with the conservation practices that had guided most of the backpackers and local residents who had visited over the years.

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Forest rangers patrolling the Blue Hole, which is near the foot of Peekamoose Mountain.CreditPiotr Redlinski for The New York Times

The effect of the influx has been profound. Over the last two or three years, cars have parked haphazardly on the shoulder of County Road 42, which runs past the pool, and revelers have hauled boomboxes, portable grills and coolers full of beer to its banks. The surrounding area has been strewn with garbage and, sometimes, human waste.

Many who swam for years in the Blue Hole or sought moments of quiet contemplation there have been dismayed, saying that the increased popularity of the spot has threatened to destroy precisely what made it precious.

State officials have responded by instituting measures to address what has become an increasingly common problem for conservation authorities across the country who aim to strike a balance between making parklands accessible and protecting them from degradation.

Basil Seggos, the commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, said during a phone call last week that while the agency encouraged the use of public land, concern over the Blue Hole had grown, as the “postage stamp-sized area” recently began drawing up to 1,000 visitors a day.

“We’ve seen a significant increase in trash, damage to vegetation and trees, and soil erosion,” he said. “We need to protect these natural assets, and we’re working on possible strategies for the future, including limiting the number of visitors at a given time.”

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Andy Mossey, 27, of the group Leave No Trace, spoke with visitors about conservation on Saturday.CreditPiotr Redlinski for The New York Times

Last year, the agency issued emergency regulations that prohibit fires, camping, glass containers, generators and radios. It has also enforced rules restricting the hours the area is open, provided garbage containers and portable bathrooms, and deployed forest rangers to watch over the site. In June, the agency issued a statement saying the Blue Hole, where people typically swim through September, was “overused.”

On Saturday, rangers on Route 42 directed people to 11 parking areas spread over nearly four miles that can collectively accommodate about 100 vehicles. Those pulling over on the side of the road were told they could not remain.

Kelly R. Turturro, a regional director for the Conservation Department, said that enforcing the parking rules was one way to make sure visitors would not overwhelm the Blue Hole.

Recently, members of groups like the Catskill Conservation Corps and the Adirondack Mountain Club arranged for a volunteer cleanup day at the Blue Hole. And the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics designated it this year as one of 16 spots that had been negatively affected by recreational use. Ben Lawhon, the education director for the center, which is based in Boulder, Colo., said the group wanted to provide visitors with a framework for how to minimize their impact on wilderness areas.

On Saturday, two trainers from Leave No Trace stood at the beginning of a dirt path that led to the Blue Hole and spoke with visitors from Brooklyn, Newark and Hackensack, N.J., about conservation. They also gave out material, including plastic garbage bags; instructions for keeping wild areas clean, with hints like “trash your trash and pick up poop”; and stickers with an illustration of a furry figure and the words “Bigfoot’s been doing it for years. Leave no trace.”

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Longtime visitors to the Blue Hole said that the increased popularity of the spot has threatened to destroy precisely what made it precious.CreditPiotr Redlinski for The New York Times

There was evidence that the efforts by government and conservation groups could be paying off, although state officials said compliance with rules fluctuated and the site required consistent monitoring. Some trash, including cigarette butts and plastic bags of garbage, could be seen at the Blue Hole on Saturday, but the area was mostly free of debris and there were no fires or blaring radios.

Some local residents at the Blue Hole that day said that, outreach and enforcement aside, there was no way to slow the crowds.

“Once social media got ahold of this, it really turned things around,” said Frank Santander, 23, a contractor from Denning.

Although the crowd on Saturday was on the small side — perhaps because the temperature was relatively mild, Mr. Santander said — on other days this summer the pool had been “packed like a subway car in Times Square.”

Nearby was Kate Marin, who said she had traveled from Brooklyn with three friends. Ms. Marin, 23, a writer from Crown Heights, said she welcomed the instructions on how to minimize the effect on the environment.

“We would not want to contribute to any pollution,” she said. “It would be a shame to have this area shut down because people can’t be responsible.”

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page A20 of the New York edition with the headline: This Lovely Pool Is More Popular Than Ever. That’s the Problem.. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe